The Salvo Blog

September 30, 2008

Expelled Hits Theaters Once Again

by Bobby Maddex

Ben Stein's controversial film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, which happens to be the #12 biggest box-office documentary in history, has emerged relatively unscathed from the lawsuit initiated against it by Yoko Ono, the freakish and inconsequential "artist" whose only claims to fame are breaking up the Beatles and making a cameo appearance on Mad About You.

The lawsuit itself was ridiculous and completely out of step with the "peace and love" rhetoric for which Ono and John Lennon were famous. It alleged copyright infringement over Stein's use and criticism of Lennon's song "Imagine." Keep in mind now that the third verse of this hippie anthem goes like this:

Imagine no possessionsI wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

Of course, the Federal Court judge did not dismiss the suit on the basis of Ono's inconsistent worldview, but because the manner in which Stein employed the song fell under the doctrine of Fair Use. Ono knew this would be the case from the beginning, no doubt, which suggests that she, like the scientists on which Expelled focuses, is actually an enemy of free thought---at least as far as evolution is concerned.

Long story short, Stein's film is hitting theaters again this month, and if you can gather together a group of 300 people or more, you can actually ensure that Expelled will show at a theater near you. Go here for more information.